5 Alive – Card Game with Five Lives

Each player has five matching Alive cards and receives ten playing cards. Put the remaining deck in the centre. A number card adds its value to the shared total; a Wild card applies its own effect.

If your only possible number would take the total over 21, do not play it: turn over one Alive card instead. Reset the total to zero and continue with the next player. Playing the last card in your hand ends the round and costs every other player a life. Losing all five lives eliminates a player; the last survivor wins.

Wild cards can change the total, turn order or distribution of hands. They can be played before you become stuck. For example, =21 sets the total directly to the limit, asking the next player to find a safe response.

Sudden death ends the game at the first elimination, comparing remaining lives to determine the winner. The rulebook also offers team play for 4–6 people, with separate hands and shared team lives.

Say the total aloud after every number, explain a few Wild effects before beginning, keep lives visible and show why emptying a hand affects everyone else. Choose the normal or sudden-death version together before starting.